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The Stars of ER: Where Are They Now?

The Stars of ER: Where Are They Now?

ER is one of the most Emmy Award-winning shows of all time and holds the title for the most award nominations of any TV drama in history. The show, which aired from 1994 to 2009, gave us huge stars such as George Clooney and Julianna Margulies, and featured tons of stars early on in their careers. You will be surprised to learn just how many famous actors and actresses received their very first credited role on ER. Read on to find out where your ER stars are today and reminisce about the good ole days of the hit medical drama.

1. Maria Bello as Dr. Anna Del Amico

Maria Bello made a name for herself for her role as Dr. Anna Del Amico on ER’s third and fourth seasons. Her character then makes a sudden disappearance and it is later explained that she had moved back to her hometown of Philadelphia, where her family and boyfriend lived.

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The actress currently plays the role of Michelle McBride on Goliath, an Amazon original series and joined NCIS as a series regular playing the part of Special Agent Jacqueline “Jack” Sloane. Bello is well known for her movie roles in Payback, Coyote Ugly, Thank You for Smoking, The Jane Austen Book Club and Lights Out.

2. Julianna Margulies as Nurse Carol Hathaway

Julianna Margulies only had a few credited acting roles under her belt before she joined the main cast of ER in 1994. She played the character of Nurse Carole Hathaway. Her character was very sensitive to the lack of recognition ER nurses received and would frequently lash out at the doctors.

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After Margulies’ 132 episode stint on ER was over, she went on to appear in numerous films and TV shows. She is best known for her lead role on The Good Wife, a critically acclaimed legal and political drama series. She appeared in 156 episodes of the show until its final episode in 2016.

3. Eva Mendes

Actress Eva Mendes’ very first credited role ever was on ER in 1998. She played the character Donna, a babysitter for a little girl, Sophia, who becomes gravely ill on her watch. After finding Sophia unconscious on the bathroom floor, Mendes rushes her to the ER and can’t get ahold of the girl’s parents.

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Nowadays, Mendes is still acting, as well as being an actress and successful businesswoman. She has designed a fashion line for New York & Company and is the creative director at CIRCA Beauty. Mendes married Ryan Gosling in 2011 and the couple has two children together. She definitely seems to be doing okay for herself.

4. Dakota Fanning

ER was Dakota Fanning’s first credited TV role. She played the part of Delia Chadsey, a leukemia survivor, when she was only six years old. In the episode, Fanning is brought into the ER after being injured in a car accident. After being examined it’s discovered that her cancer has returned and she is in need of a bone marrow transplant.

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Dr. Lockhart attempts to save the young girl’s life for most of the episode. Still to this day the actress recalls the role as one of her favorites. “I played a car accident victim who has leukemia. I got to wear a neck brace and nose tubes for the two days I worked,” she said. These days, Fanning is still working as an actress and model.

5. Gloria Reuben as Jeanie Boulet

Actress Gloria Reuben played the role of Jeanie Boulet, a physician assistant. Her character discovered that she was HIV positive in the show’s third season. To date, Boulet is still one of the only HIV positive main characters to appear on an American TV show without being killed off.

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Actress Gloria Reuben is currently part of the main cast of the soap opera Saints & Sinners and plays a recurring role on Mr. Robot, a dramatic thriller. Reuben’s role on ER led her to take a stand for HIV/AIDS activism.

6. Lucy Liu

Before Lucy Liu was a well-known actress, she appeared on three episodes of ER as the character Mei-Sun Leow. Her character was mother to a four-year-old boy named Chia Chia whose son had AIDS. At first, the doctors accuse her of improperly medicating her son because she couldn’t read the medical instructions in English, but she quickly proved them wrong. The issue apparently stemmed from her previous clinic doctors.

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Liu gained critical acclaim for her roles on TV series such as Ally McBeal, Dirty Sexy Money and Southland. Currently, she is part of the main cast of the show Elementary, playing the role of Joan Watson. As far as her movie success goes, she is best known as one of the Charlie’s Angels.

7. Laura Innes as Dr. Kerry Weaver

Laura Innes played the character of Kerry Weaver, who was notable for her forearm crutch. Weaver eventually came out as a lesbian in the show’s seventh season, after she fell in love with staff psychiatrist Kim Legaspi. The character made a sudden exit from the show in its 13 season due to Innes directing a TV show.

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Laura Innes became well-known for her role on ER, she starred in 249 episodes of the series. She went on to star as Sophia in the NBC thriller The Event. She has also directed a number of TV shows and is an advocate for the disabled community. Even though her character on ER was disabled, Innes herself is not.

8. George Clooney as Dr. Doug Ross

George Clooney received his claim to fame for his role as Dr. Doug Ross on ER. His role as a dedicated pediatrician on the show earned Clooney widespread recognition as an actor and earned him multiple acting awards and nominations.

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Apart from being an actor, Clooney is also a director, producer, writers, activist, businessman and philanthropist. The actor began his film career during his stint on ER with movies such as Batman & Robin, Out of Sight and Three Kings. Former lifelong bachelor Clooney is currently married and in 2017 his wife, Amal Alamuddin, gave birth to twins.

9. Ming-Na Wen as Dr. Jing-Mei “Deb” Chen

Ming-Na Wen played the recurring role of Dr. Jing-Mei “Deb” Chen in the first season of ER then returned as a member of the main cast in seasons 6 through 11. Her character comes from a very wealthy family and she struggles in the ER due to her indecisiveness.

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Apart from Ming-Na’s 91 episodes on ER, she is well-known for her work as Melinda May on the drama series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., as well as her voice acting roles as Fa Mulan. She has voiced the Disney princess for video games and for both Mulan and Mulan II movies.

10. Michael Michele as Dr. Cleo Finch

Michael Michele starred as Dr. Cleo Finch during ER’s six, seventh and eight seasons. She eventually marries Dr. Benton, she was one of the few characters who got along with him. Dr. Finch found another job in the eight season of the show and Dr. Benton followed her, leaving the series.

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In real life, Michael Michele is an actress and fashion designer. She played leading roles in Dangerous Curves and Central Park West during the 1990s and appeared in films such as The 6th Man, Ali, Dark Blue and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.

11. Christina Hendricks

Christina Hendricks played the role of Joyce Westlake in four episodes of ER in 2002. Her character was Dr. Abby Lockhart’s neighbor and had considerably bad taste in men. The two characters bond on the stairs in their building on Lockhart’s birthday after Hendricks’ character has a fight with her boyfriend.

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After her role on ER, Hendricks has gone on to have a successful career in acting. She is best known for her role as the femme fatale Joan Holloway on the hit series Mad Men, for which she was nominated for six Primetime Emmy Awards and won two Critics’ Choice Television Awards. The actress was also named “the sexiest woman in the world” by Esquire magazine.

12. Lake Bell

Actress, director, screenwriter and model Lake Bell scored her first credited acting role on ER. She appeared during the show’s ninth season, in 2002, and landed a double episode contract for her part. She then went on to gain more significant roles in 2003.

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Bell is best known for her reoccurring roles on Boston Legal, Surface, Children’s Hospital, How to Make It in America and BoJack Horseman. She has also had a very successful modeling career and been named one of the sexiest women alive.

13. Adam Scott

Adam Scott also got his start in acting on ER, it was one of his first TV appearances. He played the character of David Kerstetter who was hit by a car in the show’s first season. After his ER gig, Scott’s career took off like lightning.

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Actor Adam Scott has appeared in over 60 movies and dozens of TV series. Most famously, he starred as Ben Wyatt in the hit show Parks and Recreation alongside Nick Offerman. Scott acted in 97 episodes of the series and was nominated for Critics’ Choice Television Award for Best Actor in a Comedy Series. Apart from acting, he is also a comedian, producer and podcaster.

14. Amy Ryan

ER wasn’t Amy Ryan’s first TV appearance but it was early in her acting career. She played a nun in the 1995 episode “Love Among the Ruins.” She had to be tested for meningitis after an outbreak occurred in the girls’ basketball team at a local Catholic school.

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Ryan went on to star in The Wire and The Office and received rave reviews for her performances in the movies Gone Baby Gone, Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead and Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance). The Wrap has said that Ryan’s acting “holds the screen no matter what she’s doing and who she’s with.”

15. Scott Grimes as Dr. Archie Morris

Actor Scott Grimes played Dr. Archie Morris from 2003-2009. His character was known for providing comic relief in the ER and avoiding work whenever possible. His neglectful behavior, however, inevitably results in the loss of a patient’s life.

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Scott Grimes was well known prior to his starring role on ER from his role on the main cast of the teen and family drama Party of Five. Currently, Grimes does voice acting on the hit comedy shows American Dad and Family Guy.

16. Angela Bassett as Dr. Catherine Banfield

Angela Bassett played the role of Dr. Catherine Banfield during the show’s final 15th season. Dr. Banfield was a mysterious character with an emotionally damaging past. Her son Darryl died from complications of acute leukemia and she was partially responsible for a delay in treatment, which might have saved his life.

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Actress Angela Bassett is an extremely prolific actress, she is well-known for her roles portraying historical African American women such as; Tina Turner, Betty Shabazz, and Rosa Parks. She has won a Golden Globe and Academy Award, as well as a nomination for a Primetime Emmy Award. She is due to act in the upcoming Black Panther film, as well as in Mission: Impossible 6.

17. Wentworth Miller

ER was also one of Wentworth Miller’s first credited TV appearances. He played the role of Mike Palmieri in a 2000 episode entitled “Homecoming.” His character, a football player, is severely injured during his high school homecoming football game by the opposing team.

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Just a few years after his role on ER, Miller became famous for his lead role in the hit TV series Prison Break which ran from 2005-2009 and then returned in 2017 for at least two additional seasons. He also currently has reoccurring roles on The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow.

18. Parminder Nagra as Dr. Neela Rasgotra

Actress Parminder Nagra made a name for herself with the romantic comedy film Bend It Like Beckham in 2002, which quickly became a critical and financial success. Just one year later she landed the role of Dr. Neela Rasgotra on ER.

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Naraga’s ER character was named one of the 16 Hottest Doctors On Television. The actress has gone on to have a very successful career post-ER, with main or recurring roles on TV series such as The Blacklist and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

19. Kristin Davis

Just prior to joining the cast of Melrose Place, Kristin Davis appeared in an episode of ER. Her character brought her “niece” to the hospital after their pet hamster bit the young girl. Initially she feared her “niece” had contracted rabies, but it turned out to just be infected. Davis’ character also shamelessly flirted with George Clooney’s character, trying to get a date out of him, albeit unsuccessfully.

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Straight of her ER appearance, Davis starred in 32 episodes of Melrose Place and then later 94 episodes of Sex and the City. While she has never married, Davis did adopt a daughter, Gemma Rose Davis, in 2011.

20. Shane West as Dr. Ray Barnett

Actor and singer Shane West played the role of Dr. Ray Barnett, a talented doctor who struggled with balancing his career as a medical profession and his love for rock music, much like the real-life actor (except he is a doctor).

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West is well known for his work on the TV series Once and Again and more recently for his roles as Michael on Nikita and as John Alden on the WGN series Salem. Many of his movies have also received critical acclaim, such as: Ocean’s Eleven, A Walk to Remember and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.

21. Sherry Stringfield as Dr. Susan Lewis

Sherry Stringfield starred for 22 episodes on NYPD Blue during its first seasons before moving over to ER. She played the role of Dr. Susan Lewis for a total of 142 episodes, earning her a Screen Actors Guild Award and three Emmy Award nominations.

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Currently, Stringfield is still acting and has appeared in a number of TV series, including many crime based shows such as Law & Order and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. Most recently, Stringfield has played the role of Gary Sinise’s wife on Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders, a Criminal Minds spin-off show.

22. Noah Wyle as Dr. John Carter

Noah Wyle starred on ER for eleven consecutive seasons, playing the role of Dr. John Carter. At the conclusion of season eleven, his character was written out of the show by moving to Africa and marrying Makemba Likasu. He returned as a guest-star in seasons 12 and 13 for a four-episode appearance.

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Wyle was nominated as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People by People magazine in 2001 and at one point during his role on ER was the Highest Paid TV drama actor per episode. The actor is also a philanthropist, advocating to get uninsured Americans health coverage.

23. Zac Efron

Before he was famous, Zac Efron appeared on one episode of ER as the character Bobby Neville. In fact, it was one of the actor’s very first acting gigs. His character was dropped off at the hospital with a gunshot wound and stopped Dr. Lockhart on the street, pleading for help. Tragically, Efron’s character died on the operating table.

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Efron’s career exploded soon after with his starring role on Disney’s High School Musical. Since then he has acted in a laundry list of blockbuster films and his net worth is currently estimated at $18 million.

24. Eriq La Salle as Dr. Peter Benton

Actor Eriq La Salle portrayed the role of Dr. Peter Benton in the first eight seasons of ER, then later returned for two episodes in the show’s final season. Dr. Benton was very passionate about medicine but regularly came off as arrogant and irritable.

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La Salle’s character, Dr. Benton, was named one of the 21 Most Annoying TV Character Ever by Entertainment Weekly. The actor has gone on to lead a successful acting career and has appeared in many TV shows, as well as co-starring in the superhero film Logan.

25. Goran Visnjic as Luka Kovac

Croatian actor Goran Visnjic played Dr. Luka Kovac, Dr. Lockhart’s eventual love interest and husband. Throughout the series, Kovac suffers from PTSD and survivor’s guilt after seeing both his wife and daughter die during the Croatian War of Independence and was unable to save them.

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Currently, Visnjic plays the role of Garcia Flynn on the science fiction time travel drama Timeless on NBC. Prior to moving to the United States, Visnjic served in the Croatian Army during the Croatian War of Independence, similar to his character on ER.

26. Alex Kingston as Elizabeth Corday

English actress Alex Kingston found her claim to fame for her role as physician and surgeon Elizabeth Corday on ER. She appeared in 160 episodes and her character was known for being short with people and highly critical. She baffles the rest of the medical staff with her use of British medical terms throughout the series.

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Kingston left ER after its eleventh season. She has since appeared on the hit British series Doctor Who, Lost in Austen and Chasing Shadows as well as US series such as Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and the superhero drama Arrow.

27. Octavia Spencer

Octavia Spencer played the role of Maria Jones in a 1998 episode of ER entitled Hazed and Confused. Her character fakes abdominal pain to find out the sex of her baby. Eventually one of the doctors puts two and two together, realizing that Jones has been aborting girls and keeping the boys.

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Spencer has been acted in an impressive number of movies and television series, most notably for her role as Minny Jackson in The Help, for which she won an Academy Award for best supporting actress. The movie also earned her a nomination for a Golden Globe and a Screen Actors Guild Award.

28. Paul McCrane as Dr. Robert Romano

Actor Paul McCrane played Dr. Robert Romano starting from ER’s fourth seasons through his character’s death in the show’s tenth season. Dr. Romano was known for his difficult personality and being disliked by nearly every person he encountered. Needless to say, when that helicopter fell off the roof, killing him, not many people missed Romano.

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On the show, Dr. Weaver even dedicated an LGBT center in Romano’s name as payback, seeing as Dr. Romano was a homophobe. Ouch. After his character’s death, real-life actor Paul McCrane directed a number of ER episodes.

29. Kellie Martin as Lucy Knight

Seasoned actress Kellie Martin played the role of Lucy Knight, who was known as the “by the book” physician. Martin’s character dies on Valentine’s Day in season six after being stabbed by a patient with mental issues.

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Prior to her role on ER, the actress was known as “one take Kellie,” but she, unfortunately, had difficulty with the medical jargon on the show and generally had to do multiple takes. According to a source close to the actress, it once took her 12 takes to say “renal vein thrombosis” correctly.

30. John Stamos Dr. Tony Gates

John Stamos starred as the lead role of Dr. Tony Gates on ER from 2005-2009. Dr. Gates was a strong-willed and rebellious intern who frequently clashed with the other residents and doctors. He went on to have on-again off-again relationships with Neela Rasgotra and Samantha Taggart.

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Stamos kicked off his acting career with a role on the long-running (like extremely long running) series General Hospital and rose to fame for the TV sitcom Full House. More recently he starred on the sitcom Grandfathered and is also an executive producer on Fuller House, a sequel to Full House. He even occasionally appears as Jesse Katsopolis on the show.

31. Anthony Edwards as Dr. Mark Greene

Anthony Edwards played the role of Dr. Mark Greene on ER for 181 episodes. The role earned Edwards a Golden Globe, six Screen Actors Guild Awards and four Primetime Emmy Award nominations. His character, Dr. Greene, was the only original cast member to die on the show.

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Currently, Edwards is still acting and has also taken up acting. He directed the 2016 film My Dead Boyfriend and played a recurring judge role on Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders. Apart from his acting career, Edwards is married and has four children.

32. Matthew Settle

Matthew Settle played the role of Brian Westlake, a law student and abusive husband. Dr. Lockhart helps his wife, Joyce Westlake, escape his abuse but ultimately suffers herself after intervening. Settle appeared in five ER episodes and was one of his very first roles on a TV series.

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Apart for his role on the hit medical drama, the actor has played parts on The Practice, CSI: Miami, Law & Order and Brothers and Sisters. Settle is best known for his role as Rufus Humphrey, a gallery owner and former rock star, on the wildly popular series Gossip Girl. He stared in an impressive 119 episodes.

33. Erik Palladino as Dave Malucci

Erik Palladino started playing the role of Dr. Dave Malucci in ER’s sixth season as a second-year resident, often breaking hospital protocols to get things done. Dr. Weaver eventually fires Malucci after she catches him having sex with a paramedic in an ambulance.

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Actor Erik Palladino has played significant roles in over 20 feature films, he is also known for the parts of Lt Michael Daghlian on Joan of Arcadia, Vostanik Sabatino on NCIS: Los Angeles and as Kevin Mill on SUITS.

34. Maura Tierney as Abby Lockhart

Maura Tierny played the role of the beloved Dr. Abby Lockhart on ER for 183 episodes, 1999-2009. Lockhart eventually marries Dr. Kovac and the two have a child together named Josip, known as Joe. The couple, along with their child, leave the hospital for a job in Boston.

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In fact, the actress was so well liked by audiences many critics stated that without her, there would be no more reason to watch the series. Nowadays, Maura Tierney stars as part of the main cast on the TV drama series The Affair as character Helen Solloway.

35. Sharif Atkins as Michael Gallant

Sharif Atkins gained celebrity status for his role as Dr. Michael Gallant on ER. Gallant was an army medic who was on active duty. Atkins’ character died while on duty in Iraq serving as a US Army physician.

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Actor Sharif Atkins gained additional notoriety for playing the role of FBI Special Agent Clinton Jones in the police drama White Collar on the USA Network. He has also guest starred in series such as The 4400, Criminal Mins, CSI: Miami and The Good Wife.

36. Gabrielle Union

Gabrielle Union played the role of Tamara Davis in a 2000 ER episode entitled “Family Matters.” Her character was an overachieving high school girl who was always attempting to please her overbearing parents through academics and sports. She is brought into the ER after crashing her car into a telephone pole and Dr. Finch suspects that she did it on purpose.

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Union hit celebrity stardom for her roles in hit movies very early in her career such as She’s All That, 10 Things I Hate About You and Bring It On. Apart from acting, Union also released her first book in 2017 entitled We’re Going to Need More Wine.

37. Mekhi Phifera as Greg Pratt

Mekhi Phifera is best known for his role as Dr. Greg Pratt on ER from 2002 to 2008. The character shows leadership potential and quick precision early on in his residency, but he is frequently overlooked for promotions due to interpersonal relationships. Dr. Pratt died in an explosion in the season 15 premiere.

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After Phifera’s role on ER ended he went on to star as part of the main cast of the police drama Lie to Me. The actor also co-starred in 8 Mile, opposite Eminem. Most recently, Phifera starred on the drama series Frequency, however, it was cancelled after just one season.

38. Linda Cardellini as Sam Taggart

Linda Cardellini plays the ER nurse and single mother Samantha Taggart. Her character came from a family of alcoholics and she raised her child alone from the young age of 15. Her anger toward Dr. Lockhart, also an alcoholic, stemmed from her rocky family history.

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Actress Linda Cardellini became a known name early-on her career for her work on Freaks and Geeks in 1999. After her long fun on ER she voiced main characters on the animated series Regular Show and Gravity Falls. She is also known for her role as Velma Dinkley in the live-action Scooby-Doo movies. Most recently Cardellini starred in the Netflix Original Series Bloodline.

39. David Lyons as Dr. Simon Brenner

David Lyon landed a recurring role as Dr. Simon Brenner on ER’s 14th season and became a cast regular by its final 15th season. ‘‘I have been shaking in my boots because it’s such a monster of a show. It moves at a pace I have never experienced before, so it’s been a massive challenge,” Lyons said while on the show.

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Lyons is also well known for his role as Josh Holiday in the navy drama Sea Patrol, as well as for his role as General Sebastian Monroe on the post-apocalyptic TV show Revolution. The actor also appeared in the movie Eat Pray Love, starring Julia Roberts.

40. Nick Offerman

It may surprise you to hear that Nick Offerman, who seems like he has been in every show and movie ever, actually got his very first ever TV role on ER in 1997 playing the character of Rog, a rocker. He only appeared in one episode but it was a special episode that aired live.

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These days, Offerman is best known for his role as Ron Swanson on the political satire TV sitcom Parks and Recreation. He is also a professional boat builder. The actor married fellow actress Megan Mullally in 2003 and has stated that they enjoy playing guitar and doing puzzles together.

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